'AI is already eating its own': Prompt engineering is quickly going extinct

The rapid decline of prompt engineering, once a sought-after role in the corporate AI boom, highlights the evolving AI job market. Initially, prompt engineers were tasked with optimizing questions for AI systems, but this skill is now expected across many jobs instead of being a standalone position. Malcolm Frank from TalentGenius points out that even AI is contributing to this shift by creating effective prompts. As AI continues to reshape the workplace, it poses a risk of displacing many roles while raising questions about the creation of new job opportunities.

AI is already eating its own,” says Malcolm Frank, CEO of TalentGenius. “Prompt engineering has become something that’s embedded in almost every role, and people know how to do it.

Part of the prompt engineer's appeal was its low barrier to entry. The role required little technical expertise, making it an accessible path for those eager to join a booming market.

It’s almost like Pac-Man just moving along and eating different tasks and different skills,” Frank comments, foreseeing AI agents replacing many lower-level tasks.

While AI is reshaping roles across industries, it may not be creating entirely new ones, serving as a cautionary tale for the AI job market.

Read at Fast Company